A MILFORD HAVEN man who launched a violent drunken assault on his partner before attacking two police officers has been jailed for three years and six months.

Alexander Campbell was sentenced on Wednesday (Dec 17) at Swansea Crown Court after admitting causing grievous bodily harm and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The court heard that Campbell had been in a relationship with his partner, for six years. On the night of the offence, he returned home highly intoxicated and became argumentative.

The counsel for the prosecution told the court that his partner advised Campbell to go upstairs and sleep off the alcohol. Instead, he began poking her and told her not to tell him what to do.

Campbell then launched what his partner described as “a flurry of punches that rained down on her.”

Neighbours contacted police after hearing the disturbance. When officers arrived, they found a smashed bowl on the floor and his partner lying on the sofa under a blanket, covering her face.

Body-worn camera footage played in court showed Campbell threatening officers, telling them: “I will turn this place into a f***ing murder scene.”

As officers attempted to separate the parties, PC Thomas placed her arm out to create distance. Campbell grabbed her wrist with force, an assault captured on body-worn video.

He then attacked PC Jones, climbing on top of him and punching him repeatedly, again recorded on police body-worn footage.

PC Thomas later attended Withybush Hospital, where she received four stitches under local anaesthetic. Campbell’s partner suffered severe facial bruising, with one eye swollen almost shut.

The court was told that his partner ten-year-old daughter was upstairs at the property during the incident.

Campbell has 27 previous offences. In mitigation, the court heard that he accepted alcohol turned him into a different person, telling the court: “I’m an ugly person when I drink. I’m a different person when I’m sober.”

Sentencing Campbell, the judge said he knew better than anyone how alcohol affected him.

“You came home in a bad mood and almost predictively, you assaulted her,” the judge said.
“The noise and aggression was such that the neighbour called the police.”
“You gave her a bruise on her face that can only be described as a large shiner.”
“In short, you have injured three people. Your conduct was utterly pathetic, like an overgrown child.”

The judge also referred to Campbell’s violent history, describing him as a “cowardly bully.”

While acknowledging that Campbell had previously complied well with a suspended sentence after removing his own alcohol tag, the judge said custody was unavoidable.

Campbell was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, with half to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.

Warning him about his future, the judge added: “If you carry on with this behaviour you will spend a lifetime in prison. The only person who can change this is you.”

The court also granted a restraining order for five years.

Speaking after the sentencing Temporary Superintendent Louise Harries said: “These officers were responding to a call to help a domestic violence victim, and their focus was on protecting that victim and bringing the offender to justice. No one should go to work fearing they will be assaulted, especially when they are working hard to keep others safe. This was a violent attack on officers simply doing their job. We welcome the outcome at court and the custodial sentence which will protect the victim from further harm. It also reiterates the point that assaults on emergency service workers will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.”